Realistically not four stars (Hotel Dynastic (Benidorm, Spain))

Member Name: dave barritt

Product:	Hotel Dynastic (Benidorm, Spain)
Date:	05/02/08 (261 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fitness facilities,food choice

Disadvantages: Smokey bar

I have just returned from a long weekend break with my wife and two daughters (aged 8 and 15). I have mixed feelings about this hotel and Benidorm in general. If you want a slice of Blackpool slapped on the coast of Spain then Benidorm is still very much the resort for you. A 'best' English breakfast is available on every corner with a thousand tacky souvenirs to choose from. There is little to please the eye on offer when the scenery is very much a concrete jungle. Obviously a winter break is going to appeal to the more elderly who want a bit of sun at a rock bottom price and they are well catered for in Benidorm.
Anyway; the review of the Hotel! Situated towards the North end of town about five minutes walk from the quite nice Levante beach the hotel claims to be a four star modern building apparently refurbished in 2005.I tried to work out what the refit consisted of and I think it was probably the introduction of a hotel fire sprinkler system and some interlinking bridges for fire escape (two good safety points)between the two towers. Beyond this and a few spotlights I could not see what had been done. The double towered building is quite easy to spot because all the balcony fascias are orange. In hindsight I think this place may have warranted four stars twenty years ago but the general tired décor and lack of 'homely' touches means that this hotel is three stars at the maximum.

Reception(**)
As other reviews point out the reception area is rather a bland, soulless place which I concluded was correct mainly due to the lack of plants and internal features. It reminds me of a Spanish airport lounge-clean and functional but cold and uninteresting. I think they had gone for a Far East minimalist style but failed to employ an interior designer who understood the concept! The staff were reasonably helpful and all spoke good English. We were issued our 'credit' card which acted as key, electricity 'switch' in room and access to 'all inclusive' food and drink. I took my notebook computer because the Hotel claimed a wireless internet was available in the lobby but I failed to ever get connected. The tired PCs in the corner were mostly out of order and it was 5 euros for an hour online which I thought was bit expensive.

Rooms (***)
The room was quite large with two beds pushed together plus two rather uncomfortable sofa beds for the children. The linen was clean and changed regularly. A sensible system of leaving towels on the bathroom floor if you want them changed existed which I think was part of a hotel environment policy. The room had a basic TV and small fridge with plenty of cupboard space. Bathroom was complete with toilet, sink, bath, separate (spacious) shower and the obligatory bidet. Overall it served its purpose and was quite acceptable but realistically three stars.

Restaurant (****)
I am constantly amazed that English people go abroad and then gripe constantly about the food, usually on review sites! You are eating in a seaside location in Spain! Of course there will be fish on the menu for God's sake! A huge choice of food is available three times a day with some basic snack foods (burgers, sausages, chips etc.) left out between meal times up to midnight. If you were selective and limited what you put on your plate the possible combinations of food would give you a varied menu for at least a month. The trouble with 'all inclusive' is the temptation to try a little of everything at every meal which results in your diet appearing repetitive as other reviews state. Breakfast can be 'British' cooked (black pudding included!),continental, pastries, yoghurt, fruit, cereals with obvious trimmings. Lunch and dinner are fairly similar affairs. Starter can be a choice of soups or choose from a massive salad bar, main is a number of Spanish style meat or fish dishes usually with a 'special' cooked in front of you with a number of vegetables to choose from. Chips are on the menu every meal but boiled, sautéed potatoes do make an appearance. Pasta is usually on offer with a few sauces which may be the only vegetarian option beyond salads. Dessert can be selected from the bar and a huge choice of hot and cold desserts are available. Tubs of ice cream are available for the kids, which is always a reliable option. A wide choice of fresh fruit is also available. I really though the food was pretty good. Being English if I was being picky I would moan about the olive oil on all vegetables which I don't mind but it may not agree with everyone. I also note the Mediterranean cooking on offer contains a lot of salt which for me spoilt what would have been very nice food. I would give the sheer choice on offer four stars because unless you are a vegan (a concept not really understood in Spain) there will always be something you can eat and most of it is pretty good for the price! Drinks are available from the restaurant bar-as usual Spanish house wine is never anything to rave about but it was available by the bottle..
One other thing; the Hotel is used by a lot of Spanish families (particularly at weekends) and I enjoyed eating being surrounded by them rather than just English people. This also explains the Spanish style menu of offer.

Bar (*)
The main criticism of most reviews! I have always had a little sympathy for smokers being treated as 'lepers' but the layout of this bar has changed my mind. I appreciate English smokers will take pleasure in enjoying a drink with a smoke but this was at the non-smoker's expense. The atmosphere is so bad that I felt socially excluded from the Hotel's very basic entertainment because I would not suffer the smoke. The bar is for smokers and the TV lounge area is the designated a 'non-smoking' area. In reality the smoke percolates across the whole area and you have to choke your way to the bar to get a very watered down 'all inclusive' local spirit drink. We only joined in the 'bingo' etc. on our first night and kept out of the bar for the rest of our stay. Even in daytime the smokers sat indoors reading books and polluting the atmosphere. Eventually Spain will go non smoking and this layout will change but I was amazed some mother's chose to let small babies sit in the bar all evening. Sorry smokers but I think you should enter the bar to get drinks and then smoke elsewhere, this would be much fairer to us non-smokers. Bar rating is only one star as this problem is so bad. Those reviewers that stated staff were unfriendly must have failed to notice the bar manager was miserable and unfriendly with everyone regardless of nationality!I did not think I waited at the bar because Spanish were served first but I did not go in the bar enough to really comment.

Pool & Health Centre (***)
The sports facilities at this Hotel are very good. The only reason I have rated them three stars is because the whole place needs a lick of paint. The pool water has eroded some of the metalwork and rust patches are evident but the amenities on offer are well thought out and much more professional than the usual Hotel 'fitness' room. I noted some surrounding hotels appeared to have some nice gym facilites which were possibly just as good.The indoor pool is twenty? metres and laned so you can actually swim in it! Some lanes are used for fun splash etc. but the fitness side of things is a priority.The Jacuzzi is a decent size and is very warm. It is accompanied by a sauna and steam room. The amply equipped gym is divided into three sections: A weights room which would be appreciated by even a hard core body builder. A 'cardio' fitness suite with most aerobic machines imaginable and also the aerobics/martial arts studio. Classes were available but I did not partake.
The outdoor pools were too cold to be used by anyone other then seagulls but there were two 'fun' pools with a children's area partitioned by railings. I imagine sun-beds would be short in peak season. I did sun bathe for a couple of hours reading and the area was OK but a bit noisy from nearby traffic. The indoor fitness facilities are a definite strong point for the hotel. A group of Suisse triathletes had based themselves in the Hotel for some serious training.
Children's activities (rifle shooting etc.)were posted on the notice board but because of the time of year I never saw any of them taking place. No comment on this subject.

Conclusion(***)
This hotel is a functional place which is surrounded by far more luxurious places to stay. For a short break, particularly if you enjoy 'keep- fit' then this may suit you well. Overall this was a reasonable break for a very reasonable price. You cannot ever say that the 'all inclusive' is not value even with the watery drinks! I would recommend staying here with a group of like minded friends as I think you could then make your own entertainment away from the smoky bar.Hope this is a balanced reiew that helps people decide on their Benidorm choice.
PS. Hotel Dynastic please note-invest in some plants and some decorators to brighten the place up. Also ditch those two vulgar old elephant statues outside the restaurant. They are hideous and serve no purpose!

Summary: Functional not fun. Bland not beautiful.